Natural distribution of trace heavy metals and environmental background in Alaskan shelf and estuarine areas
The scope of this project included lower Cook Inlet, Norton Sound and the southern part of the Chukchi Sea in addition to the three shelf areas (Gulf of Alaska, S. Bering and Beaufort Seas). Baseline collection and analysis of water column samples is now considered to be complete. For the soluble contents analyzed to date, viz., Cd, Cu, Pb, Ni, Hg, and V, concentrations in filtered seawater from all shelf regions of Alaska are generally lower than commonly accepted oceanic means. As expected for such open ocean areas, distributions are quite uniform. Surficial sediment samples, collected in a uniform, contamination-free fashion in all these areas, show a number of heavy metals have been determined both as concentrations in extractable fractions from the sediment surface and as whole rock totals. In all cases the heavy metal contents are a function of the sediment grain size fractionation and the lithology. The concentrations of particulate heavy metals in the water are related to the particulate sediment load with enhanced concentrations adjacent to the sediment interface and in coastal waters. The clay minerology of all the fine grained fractions have also been determined. A fairly representative spread of two intertidal benthic species have been analyzed. Data show heavy metal contents as low or lower than other regions. It is noted that the Alaskan shelf regions could well serve as a type example of pristine coastal environments.
- Research Organization:
- Alaska Univ., College
- OSTI ID:
- 6017391
- Journal Information:
- Contaminant Baselines; (United States), Journal Name: Contaminant Baselines; (United States) Vol. 13
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Outer Continental shelf environmental assessment program. Final reports of principal investigators. Volume 51
Environmental assessment of the Alaskan Continental Shelf. Annual reports of principal investigators for the year ending March 1981. Volume 5. Transport
Related Subjects
020900 -- Petroleum-- Environmental Aspects
520100* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Basic Studies-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ALASKA
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
BASELINE ECOLOGY
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
COASTAL REGIONS
COASTAL WATERS
CONTINENTAL MARGIN
CONTINENTAL SHELF
DISTRIBUTION
ECOLOGY
ECOSYSTEMS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MASS TRANSFER
METALS
NORTH AMERICA
OIL SPILLS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PACIFIC NORTHWEST REGION
PETROLEUM
POLLUTION
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
QUANTITY RATIO
REGIONAL ANALYSIS
RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
SAMPLING
SEAS
SEAWATER
SEDIMENTS
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
SURFACE WATERS
USA
WATER
WATER POLLUTION